


That Piece of Paper

by hcpunkfan703



Category: iancoullahan1 RPF
Genre: Chatting & Messaging, M/M, gay!iancoullahan1 crew
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-07 18:27:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15225279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hcpunkfan703/pseuds/hcpunkfan703
Summary: Ian is given a piece of paper by Garrett with the URL "aim.com". (this is my first fanfic so maybe go easy on me)





	1. "aim.com - my name is SwimmerMan43"

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Ian and his crew use AOL Instant Messenger and were born ten years earlier.

Ian walked in, shrugging, as he read the piece of paper. It read "aim.com - my name is SwimmerMan43." His longtime friend, Garrett Wasserman had given it to him at the former's thirteenth birthday. Ian had been thirteen for some months.

"How was the party?" Ian's younger brother, Keith, asked.  
"It was pretty shit, Keith." Ian replied.  
"IAN MICHAEL! Don't swear in front of Keith! He's only eight years old!" Ian's mother shouted.

Ian ignored this, and went on his computer, looking up aim.com. He was at a website which said "Talk to your friends easily on the computer, download AOL (R) Instant Messenger (TM) version 4.7!" So he did, walked through an install client, and found himself faced with a menu presenting a login screen. Ian was thinking of what he wanted his screenname to be, because he would talk to his friends on it.

"Do I want something cheesy? Do I want something funny?" Ian pondered, eventually deciding on the generic name of HuntingtonBeachIan. He set a password (sAndEE3*!, named for a lady he knew.) The screen when he logged in looked intimidating, but he rapidly learned his way around, eventually adding SwimmerMan43, to see that he was online. Ian decided to message him.

HuntingtonBeachIan: hey garrett what's up  
SwimmerMan43: ian! nothng much, you finally got an AIM account?  
HuntingtonBeachIan: yep. how's it feel being thirteen?  
SwimmerMan43: it's good, my mom says in a couple of years she'll start giving me a curfew but for now my bedtime is a blanket 10:30 PM  
HuntingtonBeachIan: that's cool!  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i can't believe we're talking on a computer!  
SwimmerMan43: i know, pretty awesome. technology's come a long way.  
HuntingtonBeachIan: what date did you join?  
SwimmerMan43: check my profile info.  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i don't know how  
SwimmerMan43: right-click my name and then click "Get Buddy Info"  
HuntingtonBeachIan: November 27, 1999?  
SwimmerMan43: yep  
HuntingtonBeachIan: hey i should get like Kyle to use this  
SwimmerMan43: kyle corraba?  
HuntingtonBeachIan: that's the one!  
SwimmerMan43: good luck with that, he has no computer.  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i'll buy him one  
SwimmerMan43: good idea  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i gotta go, mom's telling me to eat dinner.  
SwimmerMan43: ttyl  
HuntingtonBeachIan: what's that mean  
SwimmerMan43: talk to you later  
HuntingtonBeachIan: ah, bye!  
HuntingtonBeachIan is away at 5:51:33 PM.

And so Ian logged off, feeling a sense of wonder and excitement for future chats.


	2. Conversation with Mr_nappa at 9/16/2001 on HuntingtonBeachIan (aim)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian talks to someone that isn't named Garrett Wasserman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically George is a homophobe and Ian starts questioning his sexuality.

Ian sat at the table with his father, mother, and younger brother. He wasn't sure if he wanted to eat, but his steak looked so promising that he figured out he wanted to try it anyway. Ian had been having some confusing thoughts, namely about thinking Kyle Corraba and Brian Stark were attractive. The middle school, however, looked down on "homos" as the students called them. He knew that George Henderson hated gay people and actively seeked them out.

Soon, Ian had finished his dinner, and hopped back onto his computer. It was September 16, 2001, five days after planes had crashed into the Twin Towers in New York (Ian lived in California). He'd figured this out from the AIM Today window, and when his mother told him. After thinking more thoughts about Corraba and Stark, he got back on AIM, this time adding "Mr_nappa" (George Henderson). George was online, so Ian decided to shoot the shit with him.

HuntingtonBeachIan: hey george  
Mr_nappa: are you ian coullahan?  
HuntingtonBeachIan: yes i am  
Mr_nappa: okay good  
Mr_nappa: i know another dude named ian from here?  
HuntingtonBeachIan: ian sutton.  
Mr_nappa: you'd be right  
HuntingtonBeachIan: so how are you george  
Mr_nappa: i'm good, you?  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i'm doing fine.  
Mr_nappa: do you ever think Nathan's a homo?  
HuntingtonBeachIan: nathan applegate?  
Mr_nappa: yeah. he's way feminine  
HuntingtonBeachIan: what's your problem with gay people?  
Mr_nappa: they're fucking creepy and go against God's word  
HuntingtonBeachIan: jesus christ  
HuntingtonBeachIan: don't start me on your christian shit  
Mr_nappa: that's 50 cents in the swear jar  
HuntingtonBeachIan: same to you  
Mr_nappa: i swear if there's a gay person on my buddy list  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i'm the only one on your buddy list  
Mr_nappa: if you're gay...  
HuntingtonBeachIan: well i've been having...thoughts about Kyle C. and Brian  
Mr_nappa: get off my buddy list  
HuntingtonBeachIan: no bitch i'm here to stay  
HuntingtonBeachIan: besides it's not like anyone else would willingly be on your buddy list.  
Mr_nappa is offline at 9:07:36 PM  
HuntingtonBeachIan: FUCK YOU TOO THEN

Ian got out of the chat window with George, upset at George's narrow-mindedness. He hung out upstairs and let sleep take him away for the night. He still wanted his friends to join AIM.


	3. Ian Gets Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian finally gets a friend to use AIM.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so this is probs my last chapter for a bit because i'm having company over for the whole weekend. expect a new chapter on maybe 7/15 or 7/16.

October and November passed without much issue (besides Ian pulling George off Nathan Applegate in late-November, because George was being a homophobe). It was after classes on December 19, 2001 that Ian got lucky.

"Ian?" his longtime friend Brendan O'Neill asked.  
"What's up, Brendan?" Ian replied.  
"So I was at Garrett's house and I saw him using AIM and it looked cool." explained Brendan.  
"Alright! Add me when you make an account, my name is HuntingtonBeachIan." exclaimed Ian.  
"I'll do that," Brendan answered, "but for now I gotta catch the bus."  
"Goodbye." Ian responded.

Brendan got on his bus and sat next to his partner-in-crime Brian Tewkesbury (of no relation to Brian Stark). Brian asked him how he was doing, using the nickname "Technomaniac" but Brendan fired back an insult using the name "Mustard" which made Brian shut up. Besides this, the ride was uneventful. Brendan got off at the stop and walked the three blocks back to his house and to the family computer.

"How was school, Brendan?" asked Brendan's older sister Florence, who was 17 but still lived at Brendan's parents's house.  
"Pretty decent, Florence." Brendan said, bored.

So Brendan went on aim.com and downloaded version 4.8 (which apparently had come out yesterday) and set a screen name (TechnoManiac88) and a password (NeedYrSkull43!) and logged in. The GUI of AIM looked rather difficult, but he made it to adding "HuntingtonBeachIan" who was online. Brendan dropped him a line:

TechnoManiac88: hey ian

A couple seconds later, Ian responded.

HuntingtonBeachIan: ayy brendan you made an aim account  
TechnoManiac88: yes i did and i like aim already  
HuntingtonBeachIan: it's pretty good.  
TechnoManiac88: how's it feel using a new version  
TechnoManiac88: because iirc you used version 4.7 for the first few months  
HuntingtonBeachIan: sounds about right; garrett used 4.4 until july of this year.  
TechnoManiac88: damn  
HuntingtonBeachIan: it's weird  
HuntingtonBeachIan: so who else will you add to your buddy list?  
TechnoManiac88: probably George  
HuntingtonBeachIan: NO  
TechnoManiac88: why not  
HuntingtonBeachIan: George is an asshole who picks on people that he suspects to be gay  
HuntingtonBeachIan: did you not see me pull him off Nathan Applegate in November  
TechnoManiac88: wait Nathan's gay?  
HuntingtonBeachIan: yeah, and i have a theory who his boyfriend is  
TechnoManiac88: who  
HuntingtonBeachIan: nic giraldo  
TechnoManiac88: holy shit  
TechnoManiac88: that actually sounds plausible.  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i gotta confess something to you  
TechnoManiac88: what  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i think i'm gay  
TechnoManiac88: why  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i've been fantasizing about having sex with Kyle C. and i don't like the scent or taste of girls  
TechnoManiac88: even if you are we're still friends, okay?  
HuntingtonBeachIan: okay, thanks man  
TechnoManiac88: you're welcome  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i gotta eat some food, just add SwimmerMan43 (that's Garrett)  
TechnoManiac88: okay  
HuntingtonBeachIan: ttyl  
TechnoManiac88: what's that  
HuntingtonBeachIan: talk to you later  
TechnoManiac88: bye  
HuntingtonBeachIan: see ya  
HuntingtonBeachIan is away at 6:15:37 PM

So Brendan got off the Internet when Ian left, wondering what new features may come to AIM. Ian logged off feeling a sense of trust in Brendan.


	4. How to Come out as Gay in 2 Easy AIM chats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian does more digging into his sexuality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter to feature two chats, so that's good.
> 
> Also new character coming up next chapter!

Days passed, and Ian was just barely keeping his head over the water of eighth grade. He had not used AIM often in the new year, because he had projects to do to graduate eighth grade. He'd also needed to keep George Henderson in check, which he did by threatening to tell all of George's friends that George listened to Kylie Minogue in private. It was February 8, 2002 when Ian started using the program more, as he had no projects due until the beginning of March. He hopped on his computer at 2:30 PM, when school was over and he was home.

Keith was being his usual self, just the energetic, overzealous younger brother. Ian looked forward to April 25 (his birthday, he was turning fourteen) but dreaded November 25 (Keith's birthday, he'd turn ten). After these thoughts subsided, he noticed both SwimmerMan43 and TechnoManiac88 were on (Mr_nappa had been removed following yet another encouter with Nathan Applegate and his boyfriend (a friend of Nathan's named Matt Holmes, proving Ian's theory incorrect)) Ian decided to message Garrett first.

HuntingtonBeachIan: yo Garrett what's up  
SwimmerMan43: ian my man  
SwimmerMan43: how ya doin  
HuntingtonBeachIan: good  
HuntingtonBeachIan: when do you think AIM 5 will be released?  
SwimmerMan43: probably early 2003  
HuntingtonBeachIan: call me insane, but i bet it'll come out before summer's end  
SwimmerMan43: there's no way  
HuntingtonBeachIan: oh there is a way  
SwimmerMan43: i have something important to say  
HuntingtonBeachIan: shoot  
SwimmerMan43: i'm gay.  
HuntingtonBeachIan: are you sure  
SwimmerMan43: how sure can you be if you've a crush on Brian Stark  
HuntingtonBeachIan: pretty gay  
SwimmerMan43: haha  
HuntingtonBeachIan: well i still respect ya  
SwimmerMan43: thanks man  
SwimmerMan43: that really fucking means a lot  
HuntingtobBeachIan: anything for my fellow gay guy ;)  
SwimmerMan43: you're gay too?  
HutningtonBeachIan: yeah i got a crush on Kyle C.  
SwimmerMan43: cool  
SwimmerMan43: well i'm gonna go  
SwimmerMan43 is away at 3:11:19 PM.  
HuntingtonBeachIan: bye  
Auto-response from SwimmerMan43: I think it's time we stop, hey what's that sound  
SwimmerMan43 returned at 3:30:36 PM.  
SwimmerMan43 is offline at 3:51:32 PM.

After that brief chat with Garrett, Ian saw Brendan still online, so he gave a conversation with Brendan a go. Or rather Brendan messaged him first.  
TechnoManiac88: do you wanna talk  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i'm up for anything  
TechnoManiac88: alright, so why is George nice now  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i'd feel like a bitch for not telling you, but keep this a secret  
TechnoManiac88: okay  
HuntingtonBeachIan: so i've been blackmailing him  
HuntingtonBeachIan: if he picks on Nathan or Matt or Chris* or someone  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i'm revealing that he listens to Kylie Minogue  
TechnoManiac88: BAHAHAHAHAH  
TechnoManiac88: how do you know  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i invited myself over a couple days after you joined AIM  
HuntingtonBeachIan: and i saw him in his room dancing  
TechnoManiac88: what happened afterwards  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i got the bruise on my scalp  
TechnoManiac88: how  
HuntingtonBeachIan: he threw me down the stairs  
TechnoManiac88: lololol  
HuntingtonBeachIan: so when's your b-day  
TechnoManiac88: June 5  
HuntingtonBeachIan: cool  
HuntingtonBeachIan: i gotta go, dinner  
HuntingtonBeachIan is away at 4:51:12 PM  
TechnoManiac88: see ya  
Auto-response from HuntingtonBeachIan: Don't care what you may say, we got that attitude!

*Christopher Brandenburg, another friend that Ian and George believe is gay or bi due to his mannerisms.


End file.
